Barcelona manager Tito Vilanova has conceded the importance of Lionel Messi as his side try to turn around a four-goal deficit in their UEFA Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich on Wednesday.
Vilanova is optimistic his side can turn around the contest, after losing the first leg 4-0 to the Bavarians who were rampant at the Allianz Arena, pinpointing the Ballon d’Or winner as a key component.
“We know how important Messi is, especially when it comes to scoring goals,” Vilanova said.
“The better he plays, the better it is for the team. But we can’t heap all the pressure on his shoulders – the rest of the team have to help. Still, Messi will have a lot of say in the outcome.
“If there’s a team that can make life difficult for teams it’s Barcelona.
“But if we fail, we have to have fought until the end as we always have in recent years.”
Bayern boss Jupp Heynckes urged caution ahead of the second leg, labelling Barca as the world’s best team.
“I have to say Barcelona are still the best team in the world so we will prepare accordingly,” Heynckes said.
“They are capable of great things at Camp Nou and we want to avoid that. We will play like we did in Munich, attacking, playing to score – let’s see if it works out. We are not a defensive team, even if we do have a good defence.”